As a child, I always enjoyed building forts by stringing up bed
As a child, I always enjoyed building forts by stringing up bed sheets and clothes. I continue to be inspired by makeshift structures, including my own kids' forts and temporary architecture of all sorts.
Yes — that quote is correctly attributed to Janet Echelman, the American sculptor and artist internationally recognized for her monumental, floating fiber sculptures that respond to wind, light, and weather.
“As a child, I always enjoyed building forts by stringing up bed sheets and clothes. I continue to be inspired by makeshift structures, including my own kids' forts and temporary architecture of all sorts.”
— Janet Echelman
Context and Background
Janet Echelman made this remark in interviews and artist statements discussing the origins of her creative inspiration. Her work often explores the intersection of art, engineering, and the environment, using materials like netting and fiber to create large-scale installations suspended in public spaces around the world.
This quote connects her childhood fascination with improvisational play — constructing forts from everyday materials — with her adult artistic practice, where she continues to build vast, ephemeral “soft architecture” that transforms cityscapes.
Interpretation
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“Building forts by stringing up bed sheets and clothes” — evokes a child’s imagination and instinct for creating spaces of wonder and safety.
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“Inspired by makeshift structures” — reveals her admiration for temporary, flexible forms that adapt to their surroundings, mirroring the transience and dynamism of her own installations.
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“My own kids’ forts and temporary architecture” — shows how her work remains rooted in play, curiosity, and the human impulse to create shelter and beauty from simple means.
Summary
This quote beautifully illustrates how Janet Echelman’s artistic vision springs from the childlike joy of creation. By transforming the humble act of draping fabric into monumental works of public art, she bridges imagination and innovation, celebrating the timeless human desire to shape and inhabit space — even if only for a moment.
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